Good Things Come From Threes - Guest Post by Kimberly Rempel

Today's a great day for a guest post. Why? Because I get to host a post written by author Kimberly Rempel, whose book Beauty in Darkness is now out and ready to read. (Oh, and I'm still working on my NaNoWriMo so this post is perfect timing).

I've decided to start a column called "Good Things Come from Threes," because it's true. You've heard the phrase "Third time's the charm," right? Well, I find that answers I'm looking for in work and home -- even answers I'm not looking for-- usually get verified in a process of three affirmations. (Though sometimes, they're not good.)

It's no different for a writer. There is easily a zillion combinations of three things that can propel you to write, edit and have your book published.

It's just a matter of making sure to recognize what they are! Take a look.

Good Things Come from Threes -The Path to Publication

First, thank you Heather for your invitation to guest post. I’m so excited to share the top 3 things that helped me become a published writer. The release of my first book,  has caused me to look back a lot. The project spanned a couple of decades (wow … now I feel old) so I needed to look back - to reconnect with what I’d written, and to remember the things that helped me along the way.

Publishing Beauty in Darkness has taught me a lot already. Marketing however, is a whole other story. I just want to quickly share with you the synopsis: “Glimpse a soul exposed, explore truth and observe heart secrets. And somewhere between cigarettes, germs and baby toes, as we examine this soul open before us, we see in ourselves the need for Beauty In Darkness.

If you’d like to get your hands on a copy of this highly praised collection, email me at dawn123@mts.net. We can send it straight to you ($15 including shipping), or you can get in on the blog tour coming up, and generate traffic to your blog while getting your copy for FREE.

Okay, enough of that. Here are the 3 biggest things that helped me to become a published writer.

Writing Mentor: Many moons ago when I was still a closet writer, I happened to discover that one of my customers was a writer. She took an interest, and we arranged monthly meetings where she would critique my work. I had shown my work to family before, and received the "Atta girl" I hoped for, but it hadn’t helped me to improve my writing.

But this woman pushed me. She questioned each word, painstakingly evaluated the sound, rhythm and implication of each stanza. She taught me basic writing rules: "show, don’t tell" and "involve all 5 senses," as well as "Use short, concise sentences." She was ruthless. My writing improved dramatically.

Writers’ Club: Soon I got up the nerve to join an out-of-town writers’ club and later even co-founded a local one. The critiques received in those meetings are priceless! I am continually pushed to excel, to improve, to persevere. It’s amazing to hear each writer give their unique critique of a work. I learn so much from what others contribute – and my writing toolbox continues to grow.

It’s daunting to lay your words on the altar of another’s critical eyes. (i.e. – writers’ club critique time) One of the big lessons I learned right at the beginning was that it is the words that are critiqued, not the person. Phewf!

Deadlines: Perhaps it’s the procrastinator in me, but I work best under deadlines and pressure. My face may contort and speech become little more than distracted grunts, but I sure get writing done! Without deadlines, I tend to float around convincing myself that "I’ll get to it yet." Yeah, right. One author advocates that writing happens not by waiting on epiphany or timing, but by "applying butt to chair." Yes, yes it does. And deadlines are the glue that helps me apply butt to chair. Nice image, I know. Classy.

So those are my ‘top 3’. I’d love to hear what works for others! Maybe locking oneself in a room for 30 days until 50,000 words form a story is one of those priceless motivators…

-Kimberly Rempel